Boston Launches Initiative to Support Women-Owned Businesses

By FRANK O’LAUGHLIN (Patch Staff)

Boston launched a new initiative on Monday to help women-owned businesses succeed in the city, Mayor Marty Walsh announced. Women Entrepreneurs Boston (WE BOS) is designed to help advance women entrepreneurs by providing the skills, technical assistance and network needed to launch and grow their business.

“We know that women led businesses continue to face challenges including limited funding, challenges in scaling, and finding mentors and networks to support them as they grow,” said Mayor Walsh. “I am proud to kick-off WE BOS to better address these challenges and promote economic equity in Boston.”

Kara Miller, a South Boston resident, will be managing the new initiative. Kara has spent the last two years building the Women on Main program and will expand its work through WE BOS.

In partnership with the Mayor’s office of Women’s Advancement and Office of Business Development, WE BOS will support all women entrepreneurs, including startups, home-based businesses and the established brick-and-mortar mainstays of Boston’s neighborhoods, with the goal to increase the number of well-established women entrepreneurs in the City of Boston and to strengthen and grow Boston’s existing women-owned businesses.

To begin its work in these areas, from Oct. 12-16, WE BOS will bring together leaders in Boston’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to launch Boston’s first-ever Women Entrepreneurs Week. During this week, Boston’s women entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to attend events throughout the City featuring high-profile speakers, skill-building workshops, round-table discussions, and networking opportunities to help women entrepreneurs build their networks and learn new skills to build and scale their businesses.

Women make up more than half of Boston’s residents, yet only $1 of every $23 in conventional bank loans and less than 3 percent of venture capital funding is allocated to women-owned businesses.